Dress construction and shoulder pad therefor



June 3, 1947. F. WEI N 2,421,736

DRESS CONSTRUCTION AND SHOULDER PAD THEREFOR Filed Sept. 5, 1946 Max-Na aw L uq l I y 24a INVENTOR Frank 52in QTORNEY Patented June 3, 1947 DRESS CONSTRUCTION AND SHOULDER PAD THEREFOR Frank Wein, New York, N. Y., assignor of onehalf to I. Saul Klemes, Forest Hills, N, Y.

Application September 5, 1946, SerialNo, 694,879

12 Claims.

This invention relates to articles of apparel; more particularly to shoulder pads therefor.

My invention has for its object the inclusion in articles of apparel, such as womens dresses,

of a shoulder pad whereby the desirable aspects of this shoulder forming member may be embodied in a dress, to permit of the shaping action of the shoulder pad to fit the requirements of the individual. It is contemplated by me to provide in womens garments, such as dresses, a shoulder pad generally constituting a triangular Dad, having a filler pad of batting which is adjustable or moldable so that the variations of shoulder contour will not require resort to expensive alterations to fit the individual.

It is contemplated by my invention to provide a pad construction which may be inserted at the shoulders of a dress and be adjustable or moldable to suit the individual requirements of the wearer,

characterized by a malleable or moldable stiffening element, to supplement the shaping effects of this padded accessory, whereby the labor of adjusting the accessory or shifting it to diiferent positions may be minimized or entirely avoided.

It is further contemplated by my invention to provide the article of apparel aforementioned, in which the shoulder pad may be availed of to incorporate into the dress, as it is worn, various shoulder contours.

It is more specifically contemplated by my invention to provide in an article of apparel, such as a dress, a shoulder pad which is moldable or malleable and which may be sewn into position and proper adjustment obtained to suit the individual requirements of the wearer so that the number or thickness of pads may be minimized, and after laundering or cleaning the garment embodying the pad, the pad may be adjusted to the original contour, and some other predetermined contour.

It is further contemplated by my invention to provide a pad which is moldable and adjustable, and which may be produced and installed economically, I

To. attain these objects and such further objects as appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawin-g forming a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device embodied in a dress; I

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of a pad in accordance with my invention;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a magnified perspective view showing one embodiment of a moldable stay contemplated by my invention;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a moldablestay in accordance with another embodiment of my invention;

' practice of shapingby sewing, tucking or thining 28, 29, a rounded base shaping dart 3I.

, Withthe construction provided, the shoulder pad may be sewn into the dress by the usual Figure 6' is a longitudinal sectional view showing a pad in accordance with the embodiment illustrated in Figure 5. 1

Making reference to the drawing, it is contemplated by my invention to providea dress III with shoulder pads II, I I, which at any time may be adjusted by the wearer to lit the [individual shoulder contour and, to secure either an angular drape or a rounded effect. 1 I

In accordance with my invention I provide a generally triangular padding filler I2, having a l plurality of built-up layers I3, I4, I5, and I6, having their plies tapered toward the apex ll of generally triangular shape, as is the'present practice. With a pad shell thus provided, I separate the plies of-pad adjacent the center. and insert therebetween a stay I8 so that its opposite ends I I9 and 20 extend from the side edges 2Ifand 22 a short distance from the base 23. 20

metal, such as sheet aluminum, zinc, copper. -I 'have found sheet aluminum of 28 gauge very satisfactory. Heavy wax or unvulcaniz'ed rubber sheets, simulating the finger moldableor malleable characteristics of thin aluminum or'fcopper The stay which I choose is made of malleable sheets of about 28 gauge may likewisebe em- .ployed, though 16 orheavier gauge may be' employed.

i In accordance with one embodiment of vention, the stay I8 may be longitudinally corrugated to form the corrugations 24 and the edges ,may beslig'htly pointed at the ends 25 and 26.

The shell filler thus provided may. then be en'- jv eloped in an envelope of crinoline and sewn into a fabric casing 21, having theusual edge stitch- 30 and the concave stitches. v

The moldable or malleable stay I8 permits the pad and shell enveloping it to be molded, or

shaped to any desired contour, either to secure an abrupt angular drape from the apex IT to the edge 30 or a more gradual roll, depending upon the desire of the wearer, of sufficient rigidity, to comfortably fit the wearer without the usual and the corrugations of the stay augment the ;frictional contact between the otherwise smooth metal stay and the fibrous body, requiring no stitching, stapling or other means of location 01 the strip in the sandwiched position and. thereby permitting a wide range of adjustability in curvature.

By my invention the padding effect of the pad is secured without exercising toomuch care in shaping the filler or the envelope of fabric to the wearer.

The malleability of the stay permits a preforming and shaping of the pad before it is sewn into the dress, so that the usual tacking stitches may be advantageously located, to retain the shaped contour of the pad. Additionally, should the pad not be separated for cleaning or laundering of the garment, any loss of bulk may be compensated for by the moldable or malleable characteristics of the stay, to have the pad reassume the desired contour.

In Figures 5 and 6 I have illustrated another embodiment of my invention wherein the stay I8a is illustrated. In this embodiment a sheet having the same malleable characteristics as previously described is employed. The strip is formed with opposite edges 25a and 26a gradually pointed or pronged. Intermediate its length the strip is provided with a plurality of rather large openings 24a. A strip of this character is inserted in the body of the filler batting I3a, in accordance with the prior embodiment. Upon assembly, the batting and the stay |8a are then gently beaten to internest and fibres of the batting within the apertures 24a and tend .more or less to full the fibres entering the apertures 2411 from opposite portions of the batting.

The internesting of the fibres within "the apertures 24a serves gently to restrain shifting of the stay within the body .of the batting, within limits permitting a wide "range of shaping of the composite; These nestin apertures, as well as the 'pronged condition of the ends 25a and 26a further aid in maintaining a desired curvature in the pad and stay assembly within the fabric envelope.

,In accordance with my invention in the use of a composite of batting filler and malleable stay, I wish to distinguish over resilient stiffeners, such as whalebone, wire, steel spring bands which, upon once being given a predetermined shape, tend to spring back "to such shape and act merely to stiffen the fabric in a set position and have no property'of being adjustable, tostay, upon gentle pressure, to a new position, as shown in dotted line in Figure 3.

By my invention a soft, mold'able quality is imparted to the assembly of batting and mold- .able stay so that the pad may be shaped to center itself or hold itself draped about the shoulder to meet the requirements of the wearer and thereby simplify the problems involved in using this garment accessory. "Contrary to pads known to me, forming the pad about the shoulder aids in positioning the garment, such :as dresses. This is a very desirable objective with garments, especially dres'sesmade of flimsy or light-weight material. Thus my invention not only serves properly to pad the shoulders, to drapethe dress, but to locate the garment by molding the stay about the shoulders to hold the dress .in proper position.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a dress,'having attached thereto'a shoulder pad comprising a fabric envelope and a padding filler comprising batting, a stay joined "to said pad comprising a moldable strip which may be shaped by the fingers to a new contour lying across the same whereby the shoulder portion of the garment may be predeterminedly shaped and adjusted therefrom and .set to new contours.

2. A shoulder pad for garments comprising a fabric envelope having a padding filler made of batting and a finger-moldable malleable stay strip within the batting plies.

' 3. A shoulder pad comprising a fabric envelope having a padding of batting combined with a finger-moldable malleable stay lying transversely thereof and attached thereto.

4. A shoulder pad comprising a fabric envelope having a padding of batting combined with a finger-moldable malleable stay lying transversely thereof and attached thereto, said stay being sandwiched in the batting.

5. A shoulder pad comprising a fabricenyelope and a padding of batting material, a, finger-moldable malleable stay of moldable metal sandwiched between the batting fibres, and having batting internesting portions formed on said stay.

6. A shoulder pad comprising a fabric envelope and ,a padding filler of batting .material, a malleable stay of finger moldable metal sandwiched between the batting fibres, and having batting internesting portions formed on said st y. comprising corrugations.

'7. A shoulder pad comprising .a fabric envelope and a padding filler of batting material, a malleable stay of finger moldable metal sandwiched between the batting fibres, and having batting internesting portions formedbn said stay, comprising longitudinal corrugations.

8. A shoulder pad comprising a fabric envelope and a padding filler-of batting material, a malelable stay of finger moldablemetal sandwiched between the batting fibres, and having batting internesting portions formed-on said stay, comprising apertures.

, '9. A shoulder pad comprising a fabric envelope, a padding filler of batting and a shaping stayof malleable material which is finger-molda-ble.

10. ,A shoulder pad comprising a fabric lenvelope of general triangular contour and :a com plementally shaped padding filler of batting con- :tained within the same, the combination therewith of a shaping stay located in substantial parallelism withthe base of said triangular envelope comprising a malleable metal strip affixed to the .same which is finger-moldable and adjustable :upon gentle pressure to a new contour.

tion therewith of a filler including an envelope of crinolin-e combined with a finger-moldable malleable stay lying transversely thereof and attached thereto.

FRANK WEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 641,526 Lowenthal Jan. 16, "1900 2,400,210 Royce May 114., 1946 

